Tracking sensations practice,
Building skills of interoception.
Hello and welcome to Choosing Mindfulness.
My name is Banu Joy Harrison and I will be guiding you in a practice to build your awareness of internal body sensations,
Also known as interoception.
We all know how to do this to some degree.
We know we're hungry because we have a growling stomach or feel lightheaded.
We know when we are sleepy because our eyes are tired or gritty or we lose our focus.
Our body has a lot of information to share with us and the body's language is sensation.
The more we pay attention with curiosity to the sensations within us,
The more we can deepen our relationship with our bodies and ourselves.
So let's begin.
You can do this practice sitting,
Standing or lying down and also while walking,
Exercising or eating.
Your body has a lot to tell you such as,
If I lie down I'll fall asleep or I think I'm full now and I'll save the rest of this meal for later.
Or I'm not ready for more weight on this exercise machine.
Take a moment to settle into whatever posture you are in.
Notice the places where your body is making contact with the chair,
Mat or ground.
What sensations do you feel at these contact points?
Does your body sink into the softness of your cushion or mat?
Or does the ground beneath you feel hard or strong?
If you were to feel 10% more comfortable,
How might you shift your posture?
If you're lying down,
Do you need a pillow underneath your knees?
Can you soften tight shoulders by letting them drop down a few inches?
How do you know that you're getting more comfortable?
Is your breath coming more easily?
Or do you feel a bit slower inside?
You are already practicing this skill of interoception.
Now turn your intention inside your body to notice a neutral or comfortable sensation.
This is not always easy as we typically only notice our body when we are in discomfort or pain.
It is a new skill to notice an area that is neutral or comfortable.
Where is this place in your body?
Is it an arm or your chest?
Perhaps a leg or your lower back?
What sensations are you feeling that you identify as neutral or comfortable?
Warm,
Open,
Present,
Not hurting,
Relaxed,
Soft,
Quiet.
See if you can find two or three adjectives like some of the examples I just shared that accurately describes your sensation of comfort.
When your mind wanders,
Gently bring your attention back to the sensation of comfort or neutrality.
Sometimes our body gets excited that we're paying attention to it and gives you lots of sensations all at once,
Some of which may be overwhelming,
Painful,
Or uncomfortable.
Perhaps some thoughts or stories get generated in your mind about what happened to create these sensations.
This is quite normal for all of us to experience.
It is important,
However,
To not overwhelm yourself with your body responses.
If needed,
Take a breath or take a break,
Shifting your attention back to your environment,
Looking around the room or the space that you're in.
When we have experienced overwhelm or trauma in our lives,
Our body holds so much of it in the form of sensations.
Take your time to explore your body a bit at a time.
It takes practice and kindness to gradually return home to our bodies,
So try not to rush it.
Again,
Turn your attention to the area of comfort or neutrality.
Have the sensations changed a bit,
Or are they the same?
If they have changed,
See if you need some new adjectives,
Words to describe what you're noticing right now as you return to this area.
Remember,
There is no need to change or alter our sensations.
We are just trying to notice them with curiosity and kindness.
As we finish this interoception practice,
Bring your attention back from the interior of your body to the room or the space you are now in,
Looking around and noticing what stands out to you in this moment.
Thank your body for being willing to show you a sensation,
And thank yourself for being curious about your body.
I've enjoyed practicing with you today.
